Greetings Players,

We send heartfelt condolences to Bette Cloud, whose son, Geoffrey Cloud, was in his office in Tower One of the World Trade Center on September 11, and is among those who were lost. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bette, and with any others of you who may have lost loved ones or friends in the terrible events of that day.

The Players were given a very generous bequest from the estate of Jacqueline Payne, who passed away in late June. We are very grateful for her thoughtfulness.

Rehearsals for Honk are off to a great start, and we have a terrific cast!
The cast includes Lisa Astbury, Jennifer Bubriski, Alison Carlton, Brian Cutler, Carly Evans, Marcy Fischer, David Gould, Katherine Horlitz, Sean Kavanaugh, Carole Marcacci, Paul Murphy, Danny Rooney, Eric Ruben, Charlie Streff, and Rachelle Vashon. There will be auditions for six to eight children's roles from ages 10 to 12 (ducklings and coots) on Wednesday and Thursday, October 3rd and 4th, from 5:30 to 7:00, at 51 Walden. Children will be asked to learn a short song, learn a short movement routine, and participate in some improvisations. Our wonderful production team includes the following: Stage Director, Kirsten Gould; Music Director, Susan Minor: Producers, Sally Bull, Claiborne Dawes, and Peggy Elliott; Stage Manager, Susan Tucker; Lighting Design, D. Schweppe; Set Design, Bill Butcher and Steve Dirrane; Set Construction, Artty Kinsman; Sound Design, Mark Elliott; Costume Design, Carol Antos, Kathy Booth, and Dee Graham, and Props, Heddie Kent. Performances are November 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, and 24, with the Nov. 23rd performance being a benefit for the Harvey Wheeler Center. Tickets will go on sale on October 20th at the Harness Shop.

The Fall Huddle will take place at 51 Walden on Sunday, October 14, at 7:00 PM. Come find out what's in store for this season, and bring a friend along to share our fun!

There will be a clean out day for the sound booth on Saturday, Oct. 20, beginning at 9:00 AM. Plan to come and pitch in; this is a great way to participate and contribute to the Players if you don't have time to make a big commitment!

Rik Pierce sends us this info: "We're doing our third informal play reading on Saturday, October 6, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, probably in the greenroom, depending on turnout. The play we're reading is Joe DiPietro's Over The River and Through The Woods. This is a charming, funny, warm play about a young man and both sets of his grandparents. Hey! Good for us old timers! Come on down. All members are welcome."

Here's news from Giselle Ganz: "The call of the African Wild - I have just returned from South Africa; I have been there for about 3 weeks singing with SANS. Stops were made in Paarl, Piketberg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Soweto, Pretoria, and George, to name a few. Believe it or not I can now sing a few bars in Xhosa and Zulu! We will have a CD sometime in the fall for any of those interested. The country and people are beautiful, I highly recommend a visit if you ever get a chance."

Jackson Royal will be performing the role of King Lear in King Lear with the Ubiquity Stage company at Tower Auditorium at the Mass. College of Art, 621 Huntington Ave., Boston. Performances run Oct. 5th through 20th; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $15, and may be reserved by calling 617-470-5329. See <www.ubiquity stage.com> for more information.

Bob Runck has been cast as Gaston in the upcoming production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile with the Winchester Players, which will run November 2 through 11.

Leslie Wagner will be playing the role of Cecily Pigeon in the Lexington Players production of The Odd Couple. Performances are on November 15, 16, & 17 (Matinee & eve.) at the Museum of Our National Heritage, 33 Marrett Road, in Lexington. Phone 781-562-5787 for tickets or more information.

Congratulations to Jack and Tillie Sweet, who became grandparents of a "beautiful bouncing boy" on July 17th. His name is Merrick Liam Stromgren, and he weighed 9 Lbs. 4 ozs. His mother is their daughter, Elise (Sweet) Stromgren. Merrick joins his sister, Merissa Reilly, at home in Pelham, MA. Merrick's father, Lindsay, is the Assistant Fire Chief of the Amherst Fire Department.

More news from Jack and Tillie: "We will both be performing in the Peabody Essex Museum's Eerie Events 2001 program, in Salem on October 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, & 27. These are story telling performances and are staged on the grounds of The Peabody Essex Museum Phillips Library compound, East India Square, Salem, MA. Each night the performances begin at 6 PM and continue through the evening until midnight. We actors will be getting frequent rest breaks. Tickets are purchased at the door of the Phillips Library. Come one, come all to the inner sanctum of Eerie Events 2001."

Shana Dirik is playing Hattie in the Acme Theatre production of Laundry and Bourbon, which will be performed at the Fowler Middle School in Maynard. She says that this is a hysterical comedy about the lives of three women., set in Texas. Mark Baumhardt is directing. The show opens Oct. 26 and runs for four weekends. Call 978-823-0003 for performance times or tickets.

Birgitta Knuttgen recently appeared in the annual Boston Film Festival screening of new feature films, presented at Loews Copley Place. She was cast in the role of a Christmas Party Guest in the film Treading Water, which was shot last year in the North Shore area and screened on September 8 and 9.

Author Claiborne Dawes and Illustrator Stephen Moyle have just published their newest children's book, Daniel on the Run: Louisa, Will, and the Underground Railroad. They appeared at an Author Event at the Concord Bookshop on September 29.

That's all the news for now! Please send your news to Sara Ballard, 34 Aurora Lane, Concord, MA 01742, or e-mail to sara@sb.org. The next newsletter deadline is October 24.